‘I am asking the world to help me find my son’: Search for Sebastian Rogers continues with assistance from United Cajun Navy
SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — The first organized volunteer searches for 15-year-old Sebastian Rogers launched Wednesday in Sumner County. Volunteers have teamed up with the United Cajun Navy.
“I requested these people to come help,” said Seth Rogers, Sebastian’s biological father. “They accepted the fact that I need help. They are here.”
Seth told News 2 that he has been searching for his son since the first day Sebastian was reported missing from his home in the Beech area of Hendersonville.
New resources in search for missing Sumner County teen Sebastian Rogers
“I am asking the world to help me find my son,” Seth said. “I need my son back.”
The United Cajun Navy (UCN) is now in Sumner County; following the conclusion of the Riley Strain search, Seth said more resources are looking for his son.
“I feel like I am carrying the weight of the world, and all the sudden I got somebody standing behind me, helping me hold that up,” Seth explained.
“We normally do not deploy twice in the same area, but the outpouring was so strong for us to stay and look for Sebastian (that) we said, ‘You know what? Since we are here, let’s do it,'” Kevin LaFond, Press and Communications Officer with the UCN, said.
The UCN works independently from law enforcement and joined search efforts on Saturday, March 24. After a couple days of preparation and planning, Wednesday, March 27, was the first day volunteers were encouraged to help in the ongoing search.
“There’s really a lack of answers, and the truth is nobody knows where he is,” volunteer Trevor Lee said. “I see his family hurting. I see a community trying to rally around this boy.”
TIMELINE: The disappearance of Sumner County teen Sebastian Rogers
The turnout, however, was not enough for an all-day search. Officials with the UCN told News 2 due to a shortage of volunteers, they ended search efforts at around 3 p.m.
“We have the plan; we have the infrastructure; now we just need the people,” LaFond said.
With criticism online, Seth explained that the drama on the internet has deterred some people from helping, and he said it needs to stop.
“People need to stop their ego. Just ’cause you pick up a phone and start recording, you can either help with that, or you can hinder,” Seth said. “This is about this gentleman right here, this young man. This is my son. I need to find my son, and I need y’all to help me.”
“We don’t market these things; we just try to get people out,” LaFond said. “And we have had some trouble with people online making it hard for us to do that, so we have had to deal with some outside pressures that, in some cases, have deterred volunteers, but not the majority of them. That’s for sure.”
Volunteer search crews will begin searching again Thursday. They are asked to meet at 90 Volunteer Drive in Hendersonville and a start time is TBD.
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As the search continues, Seth, for now, is just clinging to the memories and conversations he shared with Sebastian.
“He should be right here next to me, and he’s not,” Seth said. “I need him. I need him back. I need him found.”
Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers, 15, was reported missing on Monday, Feb. 26 from the Beech area in Hendersonville.
Sebastian Rogers: Description
Sebastian is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, 120 pounds with dirty blond hair. He was last seen on Monday, Feb. 26 near Stafford Court wearing a black sweatshirt and black sweatpants, said the TBI.
AMBER Alert Issued
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) originally issued an Endangered Child Alert for Sebastian on the morning of Feb. 26 as multiple agencies took to the area to look for him.
Based on additional investigative information developed during the search, the TBI issued an AMBER Alert for Sebastian on the afternoon of Feb. 27. An AMBER Alert is issued when there is reasonable belief by law enforcement that an abduction has occurred and the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death, per the DOJ.
Multiple agencies including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Nashville Fire Department, City of Hendersonville’s first responders, Sumner County Sheriff’s Office and Shackle Island Volunteer Fire have assisted in the search for Sebastian.
Who to Contact
If you have seen Sebastian or have info about his whereabouts, call the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office at (615) 451-3838 or TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
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